DEVICE FOR PROTECTING AN ARTICLE FROM MOISTURE

Abstract

The application relates to a device for storing an article, including: a main part having a main part lower face, a main part top face opposite the main part lower face, and an outer face interconnecting the main part lower face and the main part top face, and a folding part which can be folded over the outer face of the main part when seen from the main part lower face towards the main part top face.

Claims

1. A device for storing an article, comprising: a main body having a main body base face, a main body top face opposite the main body base face, and a lateral face connecting the main body base face and the main body top face, and a flexible folding tube which has a tube sleeve which is fastened at a tube base side to the main body base face such that the folding body can be pulled, by a tube top side opposite the tube base side, over the lateral face of the main body, as seen from the main body base face towards the main body top face.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the main body is produced from a main body material which is harder than a folding body material from which the folding body is formed.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the folding body is fastened to the main body in a circumferentially closed manner.

4. The device according to claim 1, comprising an accommodation space which is opened via an opening, wherein the folding body can be pulled at least over the opening in order to close the accommodation space.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the accommodation space is formed in the main body with its opening on the lateral face.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein a closure mechanism is arranged on a side of the opening of the accommodation space opposite the fastening between the main body and the folding body, as seen from the opening of the accommodation space, said closure mechanism fixing the position of the folding body relative to the main body.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the closure mechanism has a first form-fitting element on the main body and a second form-fitting element on the folding body, and wherein the two form-fitting elements are designed to prevent a movement of the folding body counter to a folding direction.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the first form-fitting element is a groove, and the second form-fitting element is a protrusion which engages in the groove.

9. The device according to claim 4, wherein the opening to the accommodation space is formed on the lateral face of the main body in a depression extending into the main body, and wherein the folding body has a peg element which can be inserted into the depression.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the main body has blind holes directed into the main body on the main body top face.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the blind holes are circular-segment-shaped or elliptical-segment-shaped in cross-section, wherein the arc shape or ellipse shape of the circular segment is directed into the interior of the main body.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the folding body tapers conically at least in some regions, as seen from a fastening point on the main body.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the folding body decreases in material thickness at least in some regions, as seen from a fastening point on the main body.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the folding body is elastic, at least on a side opposite the fastening to the main body.

15. The device according to claim 1, comprising a through-opening running through the main body.

Description

[0022] The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which these are achieved become more understandable in conjunction with the following description of the exemplary embodiments, which are explained in more detail in conjunction with the drawing. In the figures:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a device for storing an article,

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a multi-sided view of the device of FIG. 1,

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a device for storing an article,

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a multi-sided view of the device of FIG. 3,

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the device of FIG. 3, which is cut open through a first sectional plane,

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the device of FIG. 3, which is cut open through a second sectional plane,

[0029] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a device for storing an article in a first state, and

[0030] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the third embodiment of the device for storing an article in a second state.

[0031] In the drawings, the same technical elements are provided with the same reference signs and described only once. The drawings are purely schematic and in particular do not reproduce the actual geometric proportions.

[0032] Reference is made to FIGS. 1 and 2, which show a device 2 for storing an article (not shown) according to a first exemplary embodiment.

[0033] The device 2 comprises a main body 4 having a main body base face 6, a main body top face 8 opposite the main body base face 6, and a lateral face 10 connecting the main body base face 6 and the main body top face 8. Adjoining the main body 4 there is a folding body 12, which is fastened by a fastened end 14 to the main body base face 6 of the main body 4 in a manner running around the latter. The fastening can be of any desired type. For example, the main body 4 and the folding body 12 can be formed integrally, so that the fastening is provided intrinsically by the structure. If the two parts 4, 12 are separate from each other, the folding body 12 can be fused to the main body 4, for example.

[0034] The folding body 12 is tubular and has a through-opening 16, which can be seen in FIG. 2. The main body 4 has a hole 18 analogous to the through-opening 16. In the assembled state, the through-opening 16 and the hole 18 are oriented concentrically with each other, so that, with corresponding dimensioning, an article or a body part of a user, such as an arm, can be introduced in an introduction direction 20 through the hole 18 and the through-opening 16.

[0035] In this state, the user can grasp a folding end 22 of the folding body 12, opposite the fastened end 14 of the folding body 12, and turn it inside out or fold it over in a folding direction 24 counter to the introduction direction 20 and then pull it over the main body 4. In this manner, the surface 26 of the folding body 12 which can be seen in FIG. 1 is rolled down so that the article (not visible) can be held stored for example between the arm of the user and the surface 26 which can be seen in FIG. 1.

[0036] For a defined position of the article to be stored, a housing 28 with an accommodation space 30 formed therein can optionally be held on the surface 26. In the present embodiment, two housings 28 are arranged and therefore correspondingly more accommodation spaces 30 for holding multiple articles are formed. The article, such as a credit card, can then be introduced into the corresponding accommodation space 30 via an opening 32 at each accommodation space 30.

[0037] Both the main body 4 and the folding body 12 can be produced from a flexible material. In this case, however, the folding body 12 should be made softer than the main body 4. Silicone is suitable as the material for both bodies 4, 12. However, the main body 4 should then be made more solid than the folding body 12.

[0038] As can be seen in the multi-sided view of FIG. 2, the folding body 12 can taper conically in one region. In particular in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, this has the advantage that, when the folding body 12 presses for example on the arm of the user when turned inside out, the arm is not compressed over its entire area by the folding body 12 but only at the point of the folding end 22 at which the conical tip is situated.

[0039] FIG. 3 to 6 show a further embodiment of the device 2 for storing an article. In this device 2, the main body 4 is elongate and extends at least over the entire length of the folding body 12, as seen in the folding direction 24. This has the advantage that the folding body 12, when turned inside out, does not press directly against the arm of the user but against the main body 4, when the device 2 is used in this manner. The folding body 12 is thus prevented from pinching the arm of the user.

[0040] The folding body 12 has, at its folding end 22, a form-fitting element in the form of a protrusion 34 running around the folding body 12. If the folding body 12 is folded over around the fastened end 14 on the main body base face 6 of the main body 4, the protrusion 34 can be inserted into a corresponding further form-fitting element in the form of a groove 36 running around the main body 4. Thanks to the form fit between these two form-fitting elements 34, 36, not only is the folding end 22 of the folding body 12 is fixed in position in and counter to the folding direction 24, but also the penetration distance for liquid between the folding body 12 and the main body 4 is thus lengthened, which further increases protection from moisture.

[0041] The accommodation spaces 30 are integrated in the main body 4 in the present embodiment. The entire device 2 can thus be formed integrally, for example by an injection-moulding process. In this case, the main body has, in the region of the openings 32 of the accommodation spaces 30, depressions 38, into each of which a peg element 40 arranged on the folding body 12 can engage when the folding body 12 is pulled over the main body 4 in the above-described manner. The peg elements 40 and the corresponding depressions 38 further lengthen the penetration distance for moisture to the accommodation spaces 30, and therefore the articles accommodated therein are even better protected from moisture.

[0042] The peg elements 40 can also be concave or recessed on their side opposite the visible surface 26 of the folding body 12. In this manner, it is possible to grip the device 2 well with two fingers and, for example, pull it over the arm of the user, even in a state in which the folding body 12 is pulled over the main body 4.

[0043] Finally, blind holes 42 can be formed in the main body top face of the main body 4 and be directed therein. In the present embodiment, these blind holes 42 are circular-segment-shaped and each have an arc section 44 and a chord section 46. For the sake of clarity, not all the blind holes 42 and the elements thereof have been provided with their own reference signs in the drawings.

[0044] The arc sections 44 tension the chord sections 46. If a force acts from outside on the lateral face 10 of the main body 4 in the region of the top face 8 and deforms the main body 4 at this point, the arc sections 44 ensure, by means of their tensioning force, that the chord sections 46 are oriented straight again. In this manner, the main body 4 remains dimensionally stable, and a closure gap (not shown in the drawings) between the inside-out folding body 12 and the main body 4 is always minimal.

[0045] As can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, a wall thickness 48 of the folding body 12 can decrease at least in some sections counter to the folding direction 24.

[0046] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a third perspective view of a third embodiment of the device 2 for storing an article in two different states and are intended to illustrate that the folding direction 24 can be chosen as desired.